The hype surrounding Lennart Karl is growing from game to game and the 17-year-old has long since become more than just a promise for the future. In FC Bayern’s 3-1 win over Sporting Lisbon, the attacking player delivered another strong performance, scoring the decisive 2-1 and once again making Champions League history. At the same time, the debate surrounding his possible participation in the upcoming World Cup is intensifying.
At just 17 years and 290 days old, Karl is now the youngest player in the history of the top flight to have scored in three consecutive matches. His goals against FC Brugge, FC Arsenal and Sporting Lisbon make him the face of a new, bold Bayern concept in which young players are taking on responsibility early under Vincent Kompany.
Against Sporting, Karl turned things around in the 69th minute after Munich had fallen behind to an own goal. His goal – technically clean, instinctive, typical Karl – showed once again why the attacking player has already scored five goals in 20 competitive games this season. When Kompany took him off the pitch in the 77th minute, the Allianz Arena gave him a thunderous send-off.
The discussion as to whether Karl is ready for a World Cup call-up has now reached a new dimension. Joshua Kimmich, captain of the national team, left no doubt in the Mixed Zone as to how highly he rates the youngster. „I assume that Lenny will continue to get his appearances with us. At the moment, he has slipped into the regular team and every regular player at Bayern Munich – especially now, the way we are playing – also belongs in the national team.“
Kompany and Eberl rave about the „feeling“ that you can’t train
Vincent Kompany, who paved Karl’s way into the first team, also had words of praise – and remained analytical as usual. „Lenny is always dangerous. If I’m totally honest, he’s played better games, but he’s always there four or five times and that’s also a strength and then you don’t always have to be the best player on the pitch. He gets his moments and then he just kills,“ explained the coach.
Kompany is particularly impressed by Karl’s versatility: „He can also head and with the left and right and has this feeling that you can’t teach you as a coach, but where you can only support where you can.“ This instinct, this natural move towards goal, is what makes Karl so valuable for FC Bayern at the moment.
Sporting director Max Eberl joined in the chorus of praise and underlined the importance of the attacking gem for the team. „He has that special something. He plays a very, very important role for us,“ emphasized Eberl.
Lennart Karl is no longer just a talent – he is a player who shapes big games, breaks records and electrifies an entire soccer nation. If he maintains this level, the question of his participation in the World Cup will soon no longer be „if“, but only „when“.